Twenty Questions
by Sabathiel
Summary: Just now finding out that her brother's wife is actually her sister, Rukia has so many unanswered questions which of only twenty Byakuya is willing to answer. And then she discovers something that can change both of their lives. AU. DISCONTINUED.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. That is property of Tite Kubo.

* * *

**Every morning at 11:54, on the dot, she stands by the kitchen. She waits like so many days prior. At 11:58, like clockwork, she sees the door to the kitchen open. And once she hears those familiar shuffles, she looks up and greets the cook who offers her a plate of food. "For the Lord Kuchiki." He said softly before turning back. And at noon, she finds herself in his room.

Kuchiki Rukia watched her brother silently pick at his food on that lazy afternoon. Kurosaki Ichigo had returned home a few days ago and the Soul Society was quietly restoring the Seireitei to its former glory. Her brother, Byakuya, had revealed the truth to her; his deceased wife was her sister. Rukia continued to watch him as he ate, unsure what to say in the currently awkward situation. After an encounter with the former captain of the Third Company, Byakuya had been confined to bed rest by the Fourth Company's captain until he had a decent recovery. At noon every day, Rukia would bring him his lunch and sit at his bedside in silence.

"You haven't asked about Hisana." He said softly. Rukia looked up at him rather startled that he had said something. She wondered if it was just her imagination. He wasn't even looking at her, but instead had focused all attention out the window, staring intently at something she couldn't comprehend. She would have believed it was her imagination if he hadn't spoke again. "She looked for you."

"Hisana-san?" Rukia answered. Byakuya nodded, now focusing his violet eyes on her. "Will you tell me about my sister?" When he didn't answer, she quickly went on. "Is it painful for you to bring up such memories?"

He nodded slowly. "I would rather not bring up such a topic." He said in his usual emotionless tone.

"She's my sister. I have a right to know why she abandoned me in the first place." Rukia protested. "I deserve to know after you lied to me."

"That's true." He said.

Seeing that he wasn't going to say much, Rukia lifted the plate off of his lap, bidding him good day before leaving. She handed the plate to a servant in the Kuchiki estate and casted one last glance back to her brother's room. Byakuya was looking out the window once more. She wondered what intrigued the man to stare so longingly outside. Perhaps he disliked to stay in bed and wanted to go outside. Or perhaps it was flowers in the trees, dropping their petals one by one. Like he had previously stated, Hisana died when the flowers bloomed late. Perhaps the sight of falling petals reminded him of the day fate took away what was most dear to him. Then Rukia couldn't help but to wonder, did Byakuya really love Hisana? Shaking her head, she pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind and went else where.

* * *

The next day, Rukia followed the same routine, waiting by the kitchen, greeting the cook and taking the hot plate. But to her shock, Byakuya was not in his room when she arrived. "Nii-sama?" She choked out, setting the plate onto his night stand.

No answer.

Rukia looked around for a note left by him or anything. There was nothing. What was most interesting was that Byakuya hadn't taken his silk scarf nor his kenseikan. They lay untouched on his dresser. Opening the closet door, she found his hoari and shihakusho so he hadn't gone to the Sixth Company's barracks.

"Are you looking for something?" That all-so familiar voice questioned.

Rukia turned, sighing in relief. "Nii-sama. You weren't here so I thought you had gone to see if Renji had done your paperwork properly but you didn't because your hoari is still here..." She trailed off weakly. Her face was now flushed and she scanned his expression to see what he was feeling, but he had hidden it all too well. Her gaze then trailed to the book under his arm. Frowning slightly, the book was thick, dusty, and she could see that it was starting to turn yellow.

Byakuya followed her gaze to the book and a light smile came onto his expression.

_Did he just smile?!_ Rukia wondered, thinking it could have been a trick of the light. No, he was definitely smiling. A small one, but it was still a smile. "What is that?" She asked in a shaky voice as she pointed to the book in an attempt to break the ice.

"Photos." He answered, brushing past Rukia and laying down into his bed. Rukia sat at the edge of the bed, looking over curiously as he opened the book. "They're of Hisana." He stated, looking at each photo adoringly and his fingertips ran over Hisana's smiling face. "You look a lot like her."

"Why are you doing this?" Rukia questioned. "You're not the person who would dredge up old memories."

"True." He answered, flipping the pages and stopping at the wedding photo. "But you're right. You deserve to know."

She stared at him in surprise that he was willing to do so. "I do? But I have never met her."

"She's still your sister." Byakuya said softly. "She never wanted me to tell you in the first place but I'm sure she would have liked for you to know a bit." he admitted.

Rukia leaned over, trying to get a better glimpse of what photo Byakuya was looking at now. "Twenty questions." he stated.

"What?" Rukia stared at him blankly.

"I'll answer twenty questions you have about Hisana and the bringing of you into the Kuchiki family." He said softly, closing the photo album and handing it to Rukia. "Twenty questions and twenty questions _only._"

Rukia nodded slowly. Questions were now running through her mind. She had already too many. Now to pick, which ones were worth asking?


	2. The First of Many

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. That is property of Tite Kubo.

* * *

**"Twenty questions, huh?" Rukia murmured as she sat in the corner of the Thirteenth Company's barracks. Sentaro and Kiyone were most likely stalking Captain Ukitake so Rukia figured she had a moment's worth of time to gather her thoughts onto paper. She numbered her paper from 1 to 20 and started to list questions about Hisana as they came to her mind. She soon found herself erasing other questions in order to add new ones instead. "There's just too many!" She exclaimed to herself. She already knew Byakuya was married to Hisana for approximately five years and then she started to cross off questions that he probably wouldn't have learned in the period of five years.

Rukia started to wonder why Byakuya even made this deal with her. Twenty questions answered over the period of twenty days which meant she could only ask one question per day. She even wondered why he had told her that Hisana was her sister even when Hisana had requested him not to say anything. She then mentally scolded herself for believing such a pathetic lie. She should have known better than to believe that an aristocrat as noble as him would certainly have not brought a commoner into the family just because said commoner resembled his late wife. She should have known better.

With quick hands, Rukia shoved the paper down the front of her shihakusho as she heard Captain Ukitake, Sentaro, and Kiyone approach the barracks. Jumping to her feet, she dived towards the chair and desk where she was supposed to be completing paperwork. Captain Ukitake gave her a questioning look but didn't press the subject as he entered the room. Sentaro and Kiyone seemed completely oblivious what was going on as they were in an argument about who loved the captain more. Rukia smiled, amused by their fights and with a smile, completed her task before going home.

* * *

"Nii-sama? What happened and where did all these papers come from?" Rukia questioned as she found him at the dinner table surrounded by stacks of paperwork. She paused, registering the information. "Oh no. Renji-chan put up the paperwork, didn't he?"

Byakuya nodded without saying anything as a reply. He continued to work without even acknowledging Rukia, even when she timidly took a seat next to her brother. "I, um, have my first question." She said softly in a barely audible voice. When Byakuya didn't reply, she wondered if he had even heard her in the first place. She was about to repeat the question when she noticed he stopped working on the papers. He turned to her and made a gesture for her to continue. "Um, what was she like? Personality wise."

Byakuya paused, gathering his thoughts. "Hisana was quiet." He stated. There was another pause as he tried to find the words to describe her. It was difficult as there were almost no words that could match Hisana. "She was lovely, and…" He trailed off, closing his eyes as he attempted to recall fond memories. "She liked children a lot. She was a kind and generous soul and always put others ahead of herself."

Rukia listened as he passionately recalled a time when he was going to take Hisana out. "It was difficult to get her away from the children. They'd cry whenever she left." From the way he spoke about her, Rukia could feel that Byakuya really adored Hisana. She could wonder how much pain he endured when Hisana passed.

"You love her a lot, don't you?" Rukia inquired. "It must be awfully painful for you to recall her."

He shook his head. "It's fine. You deserve to know." His voice was soft, and no longer was the cold tone that hid his emotions that Rukia so used to hearing. It was like Byakuya was a complete different person when the topic of Hisana was brought up.

"Do you have any more pictures I could possibly look at?" Rukia asked. "I finished the other photo album and I thought maybe…"

"I have a few more." He stated. "Remind me to get it for you tomorrow morning. Is that all?" Byakuya then started to continue with his paperwork.

"Yes." Rukia replied. "Thank you."

* * *

Now in her room, she lay on her stomach with a notebook in front of her. Neatly labeled on the front was "Facts About My Sister." Rukia had decided to record whatever she learned about her mysterious sister in the notebook. She had even found a place to hide it from Byakuya and other servants. "She's kind, generous, loves kids and is quiet." She murmured as she wrote each fact in a bullets in the notebook.

She frowned looking at all the information she got from one question; it wasn't enough. "Byakuya doesn't elaborate well." Rukia sighed. "Perhaps I need to be more specific with my questions." Reaching into her shihakusho, she pulled out the folded piece of paper she had hidden from the members of the Thirteenth Company. With her pen, she scratched off "Question #1."

"That makes one question answered." Rukia sighed. "And nineteen left."

She looked over her list of possible questions and smiled as she found the next one she would ask.


	3. Second is the Best

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. That is property of Tite Kubo. **

**Updated 8/5/08**

* * *

The soft sound of birds chirping roused Rukia from her sleep. She was on her back and the comforter just covered her waist down. Her notebook was open and lay on her chest. She watched the book rise up and down with her breathing for a moment before getting up. She ran a brush through her tangled strands of hair. "Don't sleep with wet hair…" Rukia scolded herself as she painfully brushed out the knots in her hair. Finally looking decent, she changed into her kimono and headed to the dining room to get breakfast before she would leave to work.

"Good morning, Brother." Rukia greeted as she found him silently sitting in his seat. A servant placed a hot cup of green tea in front of Rukia and then scurried away to leave the nobles alone.

"Good morning, Rukia." Byakuya answered formally, not even looking at her. He was too busy reading the paper to even acknowledge her. In front of him, his tea was untouched as well as the piece of bread on a plate.

"He still can't look at me." Rukia thought to herself bitterly. "Even when his wife is my sister, he still treats me as he does before; an annoyance." It was then she realized that she and Byakuya almost had an assigned seating at the table. Byakuya always sat at the head and Rukia sat at his left every day. "Where does Hisana sit?" Rukia asked.

"To my right." The words slid off the tip of his tongue so easily it was as if he had been waiting for her to ask the question.

"Does that count as one of my twenty questions?" Rukia asked, just now realizing what she had done.

"No."

"Okay, good." She stood up, finishing her tea and then bowing her head down to Byakuya. "I'm going to the Thirteenth Company's barracks now. Good day."

* * *

Captain Ukitake had been sent to a captain's meeting which left Kiyone and Sentaro in charge. That resulted in an absolute disaster. The two bickered constantly and couldn't seem to agree on anything. They argues over small matters such as who deserved the rank of lieutenant and who loved Captain Ukitake more. Rukia was even surprised when the issue of who helped Rukia more during her execution came up in the conversation. Anyhoo, all the fighting resulted in a very confused and annoyed squad. Rukia sighed, wishing they would just shut up and agree for once. It wasn't THAT hard after all. She had to do that with Ichigo. Rukia sighed, wondering what Ichigo was doing now. He was probably in school or causing trouble like he usually did. She wondered what Ichigo was doing.

"Oi, Kuchiki!" Ukitake called out, causing Kiyone and Sentaro to cease on the bickering. At the sound of his voice, Kiyone and Sentaro shut up, saluted to the captain, shouted out a greeting in unison and began their usual routine of pledging their love and sucking up.

"Yes, captain?" Rukia answered, turning to face him.

Ukitake gestured for Rukia to follow him into his office, instructing that they were not to be disturbed. "That means you two need to leave," he said to Kiyone and Sentaro. The two assistant adjutants looked disappointed and trudged away slowly. "So, Rukia, I've been wondering how you and your brother have been getting along now that the truth is out. Hisana was a sweet girl."

"You knew Hisana?" Rukia gasped, looking at Ukitake with wide eyes. "Well of course you have; you've been in the Soul Society for such a long time..." She trailed off and then realized she hadn't answered his question. "Oh, Brother is good to me. He's been telling me about Hisana every day."

"That's very good to hear," the superior replied, "that Byakuya can be a bit touchy when it comes to the Hisana topic." Ukitake chuckled, "Rukia, are you holding up alright since the Aizen incident? As your captain, I have to ask these things."

"Oh, I understand," she replied. "I'm fine. Captain Unohana had my brother and me take some medicine but we're off them now."

"Good, good. That's good to hear," he answered sincerely. "Well, I wish you luck with Byakuya and the 'get to know Hisana' thing. I'm surprised that he's actually willing to talk about her. Rukia, your sister was a very kind person. Out of the blue one day, Byakuya announces he's engaged. Quite a shock to everyone, but I applaud him for getting what he wants."

* * *

"What's your question for today?" Byakuya said abruptly during dinner. He dreaded dinner now these days. There was always some question she'd ask and he'd answer quickly just to get it over with. He hated reminiscing and feeling pain all over again.

Rukia looked at him surprised and quickly regained her cool demeanor. "I'm not sure if I should ask you this or not. It might be offensive to you."

"Try me." He answered with a small smirk.

"Did Hisana marry you for your status, rank and money?" She squeaked.

Byakuya looked at her startled and dropped his napkin onto his plate. For a moment, Rukia believed he was going to leave the table but instead, buried his face into his hands, gathering his thoughts. God, why did he even make the stupid deal with her in the first place.

"I can change my question…" Rukia said quietly.

"No." He said firmly. "You asked your question; I'm answering it."

There was that still silence between the two as he tried to think of what to say. Finally:

"No."

"That's it?" Rukia asked, hoping for a bit more than that blunt answer.

"Hisana wasn't the kind of person to marry someone for their rank." Byakuya stated. "She wanted love and she wanted a companion. She wanted a heartbeat with hers as she slept through the nights and someone to keep her warm. She didn't want money."

"So Hisana didn't care that you had money?" Rukia inquired.

"No." He said once again. "She just wanted me. She loved me and I loved her so I proposed to her one day and we got married."

Sweet and to the point, that's all his answers ever were.

"Why would you assume Hisana wanted the money?" Byakuya questioned.

"I had to know." Rukia answered. "She's just a commoner and you're noble blood. I have to wonder if she only married you for the money. I'm sure the thought once crossed your mind."

There was silence as he glared at her. No answer. "It was just a question." Rukia said to her defense. "You never gave me a decent answer yesterday so I'm not sure what she does and likes to do!"

"She was a waitress in Inuzuri. She worked with a girl named Rika and her boss was Daisuke Meio." Byakuya said. "I met her one day when I received an assignment. After the course of rather morbid events, I fell in love with her and asked her to marry me." Rukia listened silently as he rambled on. "Hisana declined." He said finally. "She refused to marry me because she was afraid of what it would do to my family name." Still glaring at Rukia hotly, he stood up and left, retreating to either his room or his office. As he left, he uttered the last few words of the night. "Taking that story into account, Rukia, you tell me whether or not Hisana was in the marriage for the noble status and money."


	4. Unexpected Visit

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. That is property of Tite Kubo.

* * *

**Nimble hands quickly fumbled with the lock as Rukia turned her head to see if anyone was coming in her direction. She had to be careful because her brother would be upset if he had found out what she was doing. The only reason she had stooped so low to pick a lock was only because Byakuya wouldn't tell her anything about Hisana. What he did tell her was general information which she could have asked from anybody who knew her. And that's when the idea came into Rukia's head.

Byakuya had said that Hisana used to live in Inuzuri which meant that someone there must have known her. Hisana had a job and a co-worker who must have known her well. And then Rukia assumed that these people must still be living in Inuzuri which then led to the idea of running away for a day which then led to the idea of picking the lock on Hisana's door.

Besides, with Ukitake shipping her off to Karakura for who knows how long, Rukia knew she might not have another chance to ask a question. There was a soft click as the lock gave in, and the door swung slightly open, enticing Rukia into the room. Since Hisana passed, Byakuya left her belongings untouched and locked within her room.

Rukia closed the door behind her softly, not trying to make a sound. The room was dark with windows closed and blinds pulled down. Rukia turned on the small lamp on the night stand. The light was dim, flickering now, and needed to be changed. "It's good enough," Rukia told herself as she looked around her sister's room. The room was neat and seemed to radiate a melancholy feeling. Items were starting to collect dust. Rukia reached forward, dusting off a shelf. Taking a deep breath, she blew hard and a whirlwind of dust came unsettled, going into her face. She coughed and instantly covered her mouth, hoping that no one outside the room heard anything.

There was absolute silence. She heard the soft footsteps of a servant pass the room but that was it. Rukia undid the sash around her kimono and fell down to her knees. With her forehead nearly pressed against the floor, Rukia carefully pressed the sash against the bottom of the door so the light wouldn't show through. She looked over to the clock hanging on the wall and to her surprise, it was still working. There were books on the floor gathering dust and the room was actually quite messy. She then realized that Byakuya really did leave Hisana's belongings untouched. "This must have been how her room was like before she passed." Rukia murmured, returning to the shelf she was looking at previously.

Photos in picture frames decorated the shelf as well as many trinkets. Rukia reached for the closest frame, wiped dust from the glass using her sleeve and walked over to the dim lamp to make out the image. It was Hisana and Byakuya. Hisana was wearing a simple kimono, white with a pink design which contrasted against the dark colors on Byakuya's robe. Rukia frowned, bringing the frame closer to inspect; she had seen something similar to this. It was in Byakuya's room, sitting on the nightstand. He and Hisana were formal, standing next to each other. However, in Hisana's photo of them, she had her arms around Byakuya and her lips pressed against his cheek. It must have been unexpected at the moment from the look of surprise on his face. Rukia smiled, setting it back down and then reaching for the next photo.

The second photo was one of Byakuya, dressed simply and without his kenseikan. The third was Hisana and two others in front of a building and a plum tree. To Hisana's left was a girl. Her hair was long, black and tangled. She wore a kimono and a bright smile lit up her face. She looked like the kind of person who really meant it when she said, "Have a nice day." To Hisana's right was a male with short black hair cut unevenly. His attempt at a smile was pathetic but he was trying. And Hisana in the middle looked like she always looked. The building behind them had Meio written in fading letters and the plum tree was already in full bloom.

"Meio." Rukia said softly. She recalled the name of Hisana's boss. "Daisuke Meio." And then she realized that the photo was taken in Inuzuri. Carefully removing the picture from the frame, she tucked it into her kimono and placed the frame face down onto the shelf. She tried to make the room look exactly as she found it and then quickly turned off the dim light after grabbing her sash and putting it back on. She waited and when she was sure no one was outside, she quickly got out, and locked the door behind her, disappearing into her room for the night.

* * *

"Excuse me? Where can I find Daisuke Meio's restaurant?" Rukia asked an elderly woman. The woman shrugged and walked away.

In the early morning, Rukia found an old fading kimono of hers and ran away from the Kuchiki manor for a day to go back to Inuzuri. All she had planned was to find the restaurant and meet her sister's friends. She'd return before Byakuya even came back from his work.

Tapping on a child's shoulder, Rukia asked the same question. "Daisuke Meio's restaurant is way over there." The boy responded and then went off to play with his friends.

Rukia followed the path and finally found it. She pulled the photo from her kimono to compare. Now, the fading letters had been repainted so it stood out much more boldly, but nonetheless, it was the restaurant. The plum tree was even still there. However, it was not blooming season. She slowly entered the restaurant and looked around.

"Hisana?!" A female shrieked suddenly and through her arms around Rukia. "What happened to you?! I thought you said you would stay in contact and come visit!" The woman let go and called out to the back, "Daisuke!! It's Hisana!"

The man quickly came from the back, glancing at Rukia and then frowned. "Rika, that's not Hisana."

"I'm Hisana's sister." Rukia stated to clear the confusion.

"Oh? Hisana had a sister?" Rika asked. "I didn't know that. So what's your name and where is Hisana?"

"I'm Rukia and Hisana… passed." She said softly.

Daisuke and Rika's face went pale and their smiles faded. "Dead? When?"

"Apparently 40 years ago." Rukia answered. "I didn't know she was my sister until a few weeks ago."

"Poor thing." Rika sighed. "Come, take a seat." She said, going to get a kettle of tea. "I guess that explains why she stopped sending us letters."

"So, Rukia, do you live with Hisana's husband?" Daisuke asked.

"Yes." Rukia answered. "He's my brother. It's hard to see him as a brother-in-law right now."

"So you're trying to learn more about Hisana, yes?" Rika questioned, plopping down onto Daisuke's lap. "And you ended up here."

"I used to live here. It wasn't that hard to find your restaurant." She replied.

"Ah, I see." Daisuke replied. "We miss Hisana. She was lovely."

And the conversation of her sister droned on for the rest of the day…

* * *

Rukia slinked into her room and fished out her notebook. She wrote down some facts about Hisana, learning that her sister was clumsy at times and had an issue bringing out soup to the customers. She found out about how Rika sometimes had to go and literally drag Hisana out of bed. Daisuke had said that Hisana was such a hard worker and pulled out some photos.

Rukia had learned more about her sister than Byakuya had said. Rika told her Hisana's favorite color, food and drink. Daisuke told her stories of Hisana's work. Rika had even showed the the spot where Byakuya and Hisana met.

"Miss Rukia, your brother requests your presence at the table. Dinner is served." A servant girl said softly, knocking on Rukia's door. Rukia nodded and followed the girl out.

"A servant tells me that you've been gone the whole day." Byakuya commented during dinner.

"Yes, I was out." She said vaguely.

There was silence between the two as they ate.

"Hisana…" Rukia started. "What is in her locked room?" She already knew the answer to that, but perhaps by asking, he would grant her permission to go in and then she'd be able to examine her sister's belongings without hurry.

"Just clothes, trinkets and a few books." He answered, not bothering to elaborate. "It's just items gathering dust."

"May I have access to her belongings?" Rukia asked.

"No." Byakuya responded. "It's just items in a locked room. There is nothing of use to you in there."

She gritted her teeth. She wanted to go to her sister's room. She wanted to without having to sneak in. She wanted to go in her sister's room with her brother's permission. It was better that way.

Trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice, she replied, "Yes, brother."

Though she tried, she failed. Byakuya could sense her disappointment.


	5. Thoughts

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. That is property of Tite Kubo.**

* * *

Rukia was in Hisana's room once again. She had lied to her brother, telling him that she had a squad meeting to attend and when the coast was clear, she snuck into Hisana's room. She sat on the floor with a lantern she had brought for a better source of light. Thin rays of light poured through from the closed blinds. The flame in the lantern was flickering, signaling that it needed more oil. In front of Rukia was Hisana's photo album.

Hisana's pictures were mostly of herself and Byakuya. Dates were written underneath each photo followed by a small subtitle written in a barely legible cursive. There were some from Hisana's old life in Rukon. Looking at the dates, Rukia noticed that Hisana occasionally returned to visit. And then there was one that made Rukia gasp. The photo was old, wrinkly and of Hisana and a baby. Underneath the subtitle read, "My baby sister and I." However, there was no date that accompanied it.

Rukia frowned, nudging the lantern closer for a better look at the picture. Due to the age, the photo was faded and of poor quality. It was even starting to turn yellow and crinkle at the edges. "That's me isn't it?" She asked to the Hisana in the photo. She looked rather dreary.

Carefully setting the album back where she had found it, Rukia continued to rummage through her sister's belongings. She felt guilty for going behind her brother back, especially since he had forbidden her to come in the first place. But it was already too late to turn back now. She could only go forward now.

Something was barely sticking out beneath the mattress. Rukia frowned. It hadn't been noticeable unless you took the time to really look at it. Rukia only noticed it due to the fact that she had been eye level with it as she crawled around the room. In fact, she squinted to see if the dishevel was really there. Yes, there was a slight unconformity. The edge of the mattress had been raised barely and Rukia stuck her hand underneath it and felt around.

There was definitely something there. She traced the object with her fingers and grasped it tightly before she gave it a sharp tug. The object fell into her lap and Rukia lifted it to the lantern to identify the object. She frowned seeing it was a notebook. It was really more like a bunch of papers tied together with a string and then shoved into a folder, but it could have passed off as a notebook with some leniency. She opened it and read the first page.

At the top was a date and then words. Words written in the same barely legible cursive as the photo book subtitles. "Hisana," she said softly, realizing that they were all diary entries. She looked back down at the first one and read:

_December 18, 1947_

_I've been told that I'm sick. Lord Byakuya tells me that with the proper care and nutrition, I'll be better in no time. I highly doubt that. His expression may be stoic but I can see the pain he tries to harbor in his eyes. I'm not going to get well, am I? My health has been and will be declining rapidly ever since the incident in Rukon. But still, I can push past the pain. For my husband and for my sister. Lord Byakuya sat by my bedside this afternoon. He attempted to be cheerful, but that's a contrast with his personality. But I suppose it's the thoughts and feelings behind it all that truly counts. He sat with me and we talked. We talked for most of the afternoon about silly things, really. We reminisced over memories that seemed to be ages ago. I'm quite surprised that Byakuya can remember a lot of things that I've already forgotten. He recalls everything so easily. I do remember him saying that he only remembers the important things so I guess that means those past memories of us are important to him. The thought eases my pain. _

Rukia instantly reached for the next entry upon finishing the first. These had all been thoughts. Her sister's last thoughts before her sudden death. Such thoughts could only make her wonder if Hisana had been right about Byakuya's true feelings at the time. Surely he had not known about the hidden diary, because if he did, it wouldn't have been so carelessly shoved beneath the mattress.

_December 20, 1947_

_I'm surprised at how difficult it is to write. My hand won't stop shaking and it hurts to write this one sentence. It's been so cold lately. Even under layers of clothing and comforters, I am still cold. Byakuya sat at my side again today. He says that our doctor believes I'm recovering. It is good news for Byakuya and my sister. His attempts at cheerfulness were sincere today and actually believable if not odd. I suppose I like him cheerful once in a while. He smiles rarely. Most of the smiles he does give me are small fake smiles. So fake that it makes me want to make them into real ones. I'm sure my attempts are pitiful and he finds them quite amusing. He says my name and I turn. He abruptly pulls me into his embrace, a rare event indeed. My hands press against his shoulders to hold him close. It was truly a rare event indeed for my husband to be forward like that. _

As Rukia continued reading each entry, she noticed that Hisana's handwriting was getting much more sloppier. Words were constantly scratched out and ink had been spilt on several entries. The last, to Rukia, was a miracle by the fact that she had been able to make out her sister's terrible cursive.

_January 9, 1948_

_It hurts. It hurts so much. I should have known it was too good to be true when Byakuya announced the doctor's beliefs. I truly should have known something was wrong when he held me so tightly like that. I should have known, but I didn't. I was too lost in hopes of recovery. It's selfish of me, but I'd like to ask Byakuya to find my little sister for me. I wonder if she's even alive. The 78th District is not a place for a child like her. I can only hope for the best and pray that he'll be able to find her and take care of her. But still, will he be kind to her? Or will he just be cold and emotionless like when I first met him? Will he even look at her when they speak or will he simply avert his gaze so he can avoid seeing me in my sister? __It's selfish of me, incredibly selfish. My admittance into the family was hard, so how can he ever bring her into the family as well? Perhaps I shouldn't ask; I have no right anyways. But just what if? What if he's really okay with it and he's willing to do it for me? What if? I can hardly write anymore. My handwriting worsens over each entry. My hand cramps ever minute or so. Are these the signs of my last few days before death?_

That was her last entry.

* * *

"How did..." She trails off, not sure if this is such a good question to ask. "How did Hisana die?"

Byakuya looks up from his food at her. Rukia shifts uncomfortably, not used to having him make eye contact with her at all. "She died from disease."

"Yes, I know, but how?" Rukia replied.

"She might have contracted it from the Rukon districts," he explained. "It wasn't good for people like her."

"Like her?" Rukia repeated, unsure by what he meant.

"She had a weak spiritual energy." He said. "It killed her so easily."

"Did she suffer?" Rukia asked softly.

"No, she wasn't in any pain at all." Byakuya stated. "It's just so odd that…" He trailed off and then looked at Rukia once more. Seeing that she wanted him to go on, he continued, "Hisana recovered from the illness."

Rukia frowned. "She recovered? So how did she… die?" The last word came out almost like a whisper.

"I don't know," Byakuya confessed. "She was making a decent recovery and then she just died. She asked me to look for you and then the same night, she passed away in her sleep."

Rukia looked down to the table and whispered, "That's terrible."

"Yes, it was," he answered before picking at his dinner in silence.


	6. Questionable Outcomes

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. That is property of Tite Kubo.**

* * *

"She recovered from her illness. How can that be?!" Rukia asked herself out loud as she paced around in her room. "She was recovering and then just died? It's not right; there's something wrong with that picture!" Rukia let out a frustrated groan and the flopped back onto her bed, draping the comforters over her body.

Hisana's diary was stashed in Rukia's drawer beneath other papers and a few pictures. If her brother had ever discovered the notebook, he'd assume it was just something she used for her calligraphy. Rukia read it over and over again, feeling that this was the closest she could get to her sister. Words were written with such passion and love that it made Rukia's heart ache. "What happened, Hisana? Did you just give up on life? Was recovery too painful?"

Her fingers traced over one of the last few pages, touching the spot where the ink had smudged due to water. Most likely from Hisana's tears as she spilled her heart and soul out as she wrote down the events of her last few days. There were many apologies on Hisana's behalf to Byakuya and to '_her sister somewhere out in Rukon'_. Rukia closed the book and carefully hid it beneath the portfolios, papers and photos in the drawer of her nightstand. And on her nightstand was the picture of Hisana and Byakuya she had swiped when she was in Hisana's room, the one where Byakuya had been caught off-guard with a kiss.

"I don't understand, Hisana, you had everything," Rukia murmured as she looked up to the ceiling. "You had a home, a loving husband and you had me, Hisana. You had a sister who was waiting for you to find her. Why would you just give up on life?"

_"One spring morning fifty years ago, before the first plum tree blossomed, I lost my wife." _

"Before the first plum tree blossomed..." Rukia murmured to herself as she recalled her brother's words from a hazy memory. "Before the first plum tree blossomed..." Abruptly, she jerked into a sitting position and tugged her drawer open, discarding everything until Hisana's diary came into sight.

"The last entry was January 9," she said as she flipped through the pages hastily to find the last entry. "That's a month before the plum trees blossom, and from what my brother had said, the first blossomed shortly before her death. Plum trees blossom from mid-February to mid-March, so what happened in that month?" Rukia dropped the notebook and massaged her temple as she tried to think. "And the plum had blossomed even later that year so why is January the last entry?"

She took a deep breath as she gathered her thoughts together. "Hisana had even been recovering so why didn't her handwriting improve at all over the months? Perhaps she quit writing after January? Decent recovery and abrupt death, it's just not right."

* * *

"Brother," Rukia addressed him the following noon. Lunch was served in the dining room and it was the first time she had always seen him that day. "Good afternoon."

"Good afternoon," He answered in a voice that sounded gruff. He picked at his food in silence and sipped his tea formally.

"_Stiff and formal, even when he's supposed to be relaxed_," Rukia thought to herself as she quoted from Hisana's diary. She looked up at Byakuya and quietly asked him her question.

Byakuya's eyes widened and he tensed at hearing her words. "What?" He managed to choke out as his reticent expression faltered.

"What was it like when Hisana died?" Rukia repeated. Seeing his expression, she explained what she wanted answered. "What day was it? How did you feel? What did she say to you? What was the weather like?"

Byakuya cleared his throat and averted his gaze from Rukia. It was hard for him to look at her because every time he did, he saw a little bit of Hisana in her. "It was a lovely day. She apologized to me for making everything so difficult and she made the request that I find you. We noticed the first plum blossom and then she passed away later that night. I felt..." He trailed off uncertainly. The questions Rukia had been badgering him with made him feel vulnerable. He hated that feeling because that's what Hisana made him feel when she died.

"What was the date?" Rukia asked, her voice a mere whisper.

"March 12, 1948," Byakuya answered.

He frowned when Rukia gasped.

* * *

Without bothering to even excuse herself from the table, Rukia turned and dashed to her room, locking the door behind her. "That's two whole months of unwritten entries. That's about sixty days that I don't know what went through her head."

As she fumbled with the pages of the notebook, the string snapped causing the whole diary to fall apart. The pages fluttered to the floor, spreading out and coming out of order. Rukia dropped to her knees, gathering them all up and stacking them neatly (with some leniency). She quickly pushed stuff aside on her desk as she looked around for a string to bind the papers with and then set them onto her desk with the mere thought of organizing them another time.

"Hisana recovered from her illness," Rukia murmured to herself. "Two months of recovering should make her close to one-hundred percent well, very close in fact. Two months of recovery shouldn't make people drop dead like flies." She closed her eyes, pondering on the thought. Glancing over to the papers, and then the snapped string on the floor, something in Rukia's mind clicked.

"There were more journal entries," She said out loud. "There were more because the sheer size of this stack made it impossible to add another two month's worth of entries. The string snapped because it couldn't keep binding and unbinding such a large stack of papers!" A triumphant grin lit up her face as she came to this stunning conclusion.

Putting all the papers into the drawer, Rukia left her room and headed down the familiar hallway that eventually led to the locked door. Tugging the kanzashi from her hair, an ornament she wore on the days she had no work, she picked the lock effortlessly. She slinked into the room and locked the door behind her. Groping around in the darkness, she lit a match and lit an oil lamp for her light source.

Rukia shoved her hand beneath the old mattress and felt around for more papers. Her triumphant smile faltered when she felt nothing. She circled the mattress with the lamp and her eye probed for any dishevel and unconformity. "No," she breathed as she lifted the mattress up and held the lamp out. There was nothing but the dusty bed frame and a square less dusty than the area around it, due to the notebook that had been hidden there for several decades.

"Where is it?!" Rukia gasped as she set the mattress back down in its respectful place. "If the entries aren't beneath the bed, then where could she have hidden them?!"

* * *

**A/N: In the previous chapter, I had to change the dates to Hisana's journal entries since the dates didn't fit well with the timeline of my story. Just a heads up.**

**Also, I know they're supposed to have futons, but I assume, since Byakuya is a rich noble, he'd be able to afford beds and would probably prefer them over futons. Besides, it's easier to hide a diary under a bed than it is a futon.**


	7. Mirror

___**Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo!**_

* * *

The whole room had been overturned. Rukia had gone through every nook and cranny she could possibly find. There was nothing. No evidence of more journal entries, and no proof of Hisana's recovery. Finally, Rukia slid down onto the hardwood floor in defeat. "Okay, Hisana, you win. The diary entries get to stay hidden."

Sighing in defeat, she gave the room one last thorough search before admitting defeat and retreating to her quarters. "Perhaps Byakuya has them," Rukia thought as she contemplated the possible locations of the missing entries. "He must have found them," she paused, "or maybe they don't exist." What if the entries didn't exist? Rukia wasn't sure if there was another set of entries, but there was evidence, the snapped strings and missing dates. She prayed that there was another set.

She glanced over to the drawer that contained the entries. Why hadn't her brother found them? Ah, right, he left the room untouched after her unfortunate death. Rukia sighed. Those entries could do much better than sit at the bottom of her drawer. She decided she'd give them to her brother the following dinner.

Reaching over, Rukia's fingers grasped at the frame that contained the picture of Hisana and Byakuya. She wondered what her brother was like when Hisana was still alive. There was no way he could have been the silent, bitter man that she knew today. Was he kind? Did he show his emotions to Hisana? Did he love her? Rukia shook her head after the last question came to mind. Of course Byakuya loved Hisana. If he didn't love her, why marry her in the first place and sully the Kuchiki name?

"He must have loved her very much to go through all that trouble," Rukia thought as she carefully set the frame down in its respected place. Hisana looked healthy in the picture; it was probably taken when they first got married. "Silly me, I never bothered to check for a date," she chuckled, reaching for the frame. Before taking it apart, she stopped. "Maybe I should give this to Brother as well with the letters." She sighed and placed the frame back where it belonged.

* * *

"Brother, I got these from Hisana's room. They are her diary entries. I believe you should have them, so please don't be upset with me," Rukia said, trying not to let her voice waver. She sighed and shook her head as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. "No, no, that sounds horrible." She paced around, trying to think of the right thing to say. "Look, brother! I found Hisana's diary entries. Want them? Ohh!" She smacked herself after making the latter speech. "With words like that, he'd disown me from the family."

She bit her lower lip, trying to think. "The truth perhaps? But he's not exactly a compassionate man nor sentimental." Rukia let out a sigh of her pent up frustration and anger. Frustration from being unable to think of the right thing to say to Byakuya. Anger from not being able to find Hisana's other diary entries and unable to think of a question.

"Lady Rukia, it is time for supper," a servant said meekly as she peered into the room. "Lord Kuchiki is already waiting. Please don't dawdle." The servant then scurried away without another word.

Rukia nodded and grabbed the diary entries off her desk. In a rush, she had forgotten the entries were under the picture frame of the noble couple and the frame went flying. Rukia reached out fast in an attempt to catch it but it brushed against her finger tips and hit the floor with a crash. The photo lay in a pile of the broken glass. "Ohhhh," Rukia groaned, "why me?" Already late for supper, she quickly swept the shards and fragments beneath her bed with the photo, deciding to clean it up later, replace the frame and then give it to her brother.

"Brother, I'm sorry I am late," she said as she took her seat and set the diary entries carefully on the empty chair next to her. Byakuya eyed the papers for a moment, but dismissed the thought, believing it to be paperwork. After all, he usually did his paperwork during supper; why shouldn't Rukia do so as well?

Deciding to be compassionate with her questions today, Rukia asked, "How did you and Hisana meet?" She figured she could get him to talk for at least half of supper before she'd present to him the diary entries.

"In Rukon," he answered. "I was sent on a mission to go after a criminal Shinigami. It was in her district and by accident, she had gotten involved in the mission."

_'So much for a romantic meeting,'_ Rukia mused silently to herself as she listened to her Byakuya's voice, going on about the mission and his time with Hisana.

"After the mission, I made excuses to go back to the Districts just to see her. I stayed out as long as I could just to spend time with her. Finally, I proposed." Byakuya finished. Realizing he had gone on rambling, he looked away to hide the tint on his face.

Hearing her brother talk like that was a completely different side to Byakuya. Rukia realized it was a cameo of what Byakuya used to be like when Hisana was still alive. _'Just a regular guy hopelessly in love...'_

She took a deep breath and reached for the stack of papers she had set down earlier. "These are for you," she said, her voice already wavering. She held them out for Byakuya to take with shaky hands. Unsure why, Rukia even bowed her head down to him as if she was a lowly messenger delivering something.

He looked at her blankly and then reached across the table to take the stack of yellowing papers. He frowned, now seeing the familiar cursive handwriting and stationery. "Rukia, where did you get this?"

"I'm sorry, Brother, but it's just that you don't answer my questions thoroughly," Rukia said, keeping the waver out of her voice. She tried to speak out confidently. "You're not very good at answering questions so I wanted to find out more about my sister. I found out more from her friends than you've ever told me!"

"You went to Rukon?!" Byakuya interrupted incredulously.

Rukia ignored the interjection, and continued on. "I went into her room. I know you told me not to, but I just had to. It was a way to get closer to Hisana and I found these entries and I kept them to myself, but as her husband, I believe you deserve to know about their existence and at least know what some of her thoughts were!" She stopped herself from going on and just looked at her brother for any sign of reaction.

He was silent, staring down at the entries, not making eye contact with Rukia. She stood there, silent and waiting for some sort of punishment he was going to come up with. She had done so much that was worth a punishment. Sneaking out into Rukon, breaking into Hisana's room, talking back to him, raising her voice at him and even pointing out some of his flaws. Finally, he spoke, "you're dismissed," and then began leafing through the papers.

"He's not mad?" Rukia wondered in surprise as she turned around to leave. She had expected some sort of snide comment like when she had questioned if Hisana really loved him or not. She began to leave and Byakuya let her go without another word.

* * *

Once back in her room, Rukia sighed, quietly apologizing to her brother for hurting him like that. She reached beneath her bed for the broken frame and glass. She reached for the photo and set it on her bed while she quickly swept up the glass and put it in the trash. "Well, at least I can see when this was taken," Rukia said, attempting to be optimistic at the current moment.

"What the?" Rukia said as on the back of the photo was not only the date but some sort of poem written in that all-so familiar handwriting. "1943 was when this was taken," Rukia said, getting the date first before reading the poem. "_On the back of the mirror, A spring unseen, A flowering plum-tree_." (Poem originally written by Basho).

"I wonder what that means," Rukia sighed, reading the poem again. She could have asked Byakuya, but she didn't want to drag him into all of it again. "A clue maybe?" She wondered, thinking outside the box. "But what do mirrors, springs and trees have in common? Well, for starters, trees flower in spring, but how is it 'unseen' and where does the mirror fit into all of this?"

Thinking, she read over the poem again. "On the back of a mirror? Perhaps it is literal?" She instantly thought of the vanity in Hisana's room. There was a mirror big enough to hide diary entries behind it. "But is Hisana a literal person?" Rukia wondered, "and is it _that_ mirror or another one in the house?" She shook her head deciding it would be worth a try and once again, she was going down the hallway.

Much to her surprise, the door was unlocked. She turned the knob slowly and stepped into the room. Someone had been there earlier and Rukia assumed Byakuya. He had left a lamp in there by the windowsill and must have left the door unlocked for the servants to clean the dust. Well, at least she didn't have to tiredly pick the lock and lock it from the outside again and again. She went straight to the vanity and sighed as she pushed her hand behind it into the small dusty space between the mirror's back and the wall. She shuddered in disgust as she fingers tangled themselves in a spider web.

"Oh my god," Rukia gasped as she felt something jammed in there. She tugged at it, but it was hopelessly stuck. She gave it another sharp tug, but it didn't budge an inch. Deciding that she would break whatever it was behind the mirror with all the excessive tugging, she pulled her hand out, wiping the dust off on her robe. She moved to the front of the vanity and secured her grasp on the table front and began to pull.

The vanity moved slowly, making a creaking sound. There was a _thunk_ when whatever object stuck in there hit the floor. A small cloud of dust blew up from the impact of a dusty object to a dusty floor. "Oh god," Rukia sighed, her face contorting into a disgusted expression when she realized she was going to have to stick her whole arm into the squalid space.

She lay down on the floor reached in, past all the dust bunnies, hair balls, and spider webs until her fingers traced over the solid object. She pulled it out and discovered it was a book, thankfully not moldy. She closed her eyes and blew on the book, sending more dust and dirt everywhere. The book was small, leather-bound and with a ribbon for a bookmark. Standing up, she walked towards the window where the light of the lamp and moon could illuminate the book's features.

There was no title on the book, no words on the spine and it was too thin to have been a reading book. And why on earth would Hisana steal a book from Byakuya's library and hide it? She turned to first page; it was blank. She turned to the second, expecting some sort of title page, but all she got was another empty used to be white page. On the third page, written in neatly in the center was: "Property of Hisana Kuchiki." Rukia instantly turned to the next page. That page and the rest of the pages were lined and covered with handwriting that depicted events. Rukia had found the second set of diary entries.


	8. Plum Tree

**Disclaimer: Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo!  
A/N: I'm sorry I suck at updating... =_=  
K, so this chapter was just a little bit rushed... But remember, this story is AU!

* * *

**

Rukia flipped through Hisana's second diary, briefly reading each day's little blurb mentioning what had occurred. Hisana's handwriting had improved drastically and each entry increased in length showing positive signs of her recovery. Rukia skipped to the pages of the week before Hisana had passed in hope of figuring out what had happened. A muscle in her jaw jumped as she clenched her teeth and tightened her grasp on the pages of the notebook. The last pages, the last words Hisana had written, were torn out of the notebook.

Gone were the pages. Gone was Rukia's last hope of figuring out what had happened to her sister. Her hopes had been squandered. Squished like a little bug. Rukia sighed in defeat, "You win, Hisana. You win." Her fingers traced over the torn part of the notebook where the missing pages used to be. "Why? Why are you doing this, Hisana?" she couldn't help but to wonder. "Hisana, what could you have to hide?" Rukia continued to slowly leaf through the pages of the book and wished she had some other clue of what to do next. Her cryptic sister had left nothing in the notebook.

"The photo," Rukia murmured, remembering that it had given her the clue to find the second diary in the first place. She sifted through her papers until she found what she was looking for. Carefully, she flipped the photo over and read the faded black ink. "A spring unseen..." she whispered to herself as she read off the second line. She bit her bottom lip as she tried to think what that could mean. Rukia assumed it could have been figurative, the spring referring to the season. "But what if it is a water spring?" Rukia wondered and tried to comprehend a literal meaning.

Arriving at nothing, she then proceeded in reading off the last line, "A flowering plum tree." There were plum trees everywhere. Perhaps Hisana had hidden something at the foot of one? Rukia doubted it. There were far too many plum trees and if she had hidden something, it would have been found already. The two clues, she decided, were useless.

* * *

Rukia knelt forward and gently set a bouquet of sunflowers onto the grave. Her fingers traced lovingly over the curly letters engraved into the tombstone while her other hand carefully set aside another bouquet of flowers she had brought with her. Sunflowers were not practical flowers to bring to a graveyard but she knew that _he_ would like them. "I miss you, Kaien-dono," Rukia said quietly as she lit a stick of sweet-smelling incense and set it carefully against the monument. Clasping her hands together, she whispered a short prayer for her beloved lieutenant and then pressed her hands over her chest, recalling the fact that he had left his heart with her.

There was a moment of silence before Rukia heard the crunch of gravel and then felt a familiar spiritual pressure settle over her like a blanket. "Ichigo," she said softly as she looked over her shoulder and saw the bright mop of orange hair.

"Rukia," he answered. "Your two loud coworkers told me you'd be here," he stated, unable to recall their names.

"Kiyone and Sentaro!" Rukia corrected. "They introduce themselves to you every time you visit!"

"I'm bad with names," Ichigo replied with a scowl. "That's _why_ they introduce always themselves to me every time I visit."The two proceeded to glare at each other until Rukia sucked in her cheeks and turned her attention back to Kaien's grave. Ichigo watched silently as Rukia finished her prayers to her lieutenant. "Why do you have two things of flowers?" he asked abruptly, interrupting.

"It's for my sister," Rukia admitted as she traced the waxy petals of the white roses.

"Oh," Ichigo answered and attempted to recall her name. "Hisana?" he asked. Rukia confirmed his guess with a nod. "So how's the game of twenty questions going?" Seeing Rukia's sour expression, he easily concluded that it was not going the way she had intended. Immediately changing the subject, the substitute Soul Reaper casually remarked, "I still can't believe Byakuya was once married." That casual remark was rewarded with a sharp kick to the shin. Ichigo hissed in pain and glared Rukia, seething.

"My brother loved Hisana," Rukia said hotly. She stomped away from Ichigo and headed to her sister's grave. Ichigo slowly followed, keeping his distance from the angered Shinigami. Once finding the correct headstone, Rukia took a deep breath and tried to calm her rattled nerves. She proceeded to light a stick on incense and set the bouquet down. Clasping her hands, she murmured a quiet prayer and then let out a soft sigh. "I wish I could have met her," she confessed to Ichigo. "There's just so much I'd like to know."

"You mentioned that she left some cryptic stuff for you?" Ichigo asked. "How's that coming along?"

"Dead end," Rukia said with a sullen look. "I found her journal but she wrote some sort of odd poem. I can't figure out the last two lines," she said with a defeated look. "Something about spring and plum trees."

"How symbolic," Ichigo responded dryly.

"Maybe you could take a look at it?" Rukia suggested. "You like Shakespeare and maybe a new set of eyes could be helpful."

"I guess," Ichigo said, unable to refuse her. "But your sister's no Shakespeare." Rukia nodded quickly and reached into her kimono to pull out a crinkled slip of paper. (She had quickly scrawled the poem down before returning the photo to Byakuya). "No bunnies?" he teased as he looked over the slip. He read the lines out loud and then looked at Rukia with a confused look. "Well, I don't think 'spring' can be literal. Plum tree can be."

"There are plum trees everywhere," Rukia said sourly. "And Hisana always went to Rukongai. That's a lot of plum trees."

"Symbolic maybe?" Ichigo suggested instead.

"What do plum trees symbolize?" she asked curiously. She hated poetry and symbolism; Hisana's poem just made her hate it even more.

"I don't know. Just because I like Shakespeare doesn't mean I know what everything symbolizes. I could look it up for you," he offered, so not to let her down. He couldn't bear it to let her down.

"That's great, thanks," Rukia answered and hugged him. "What does 'spring' symbolize then?"

"Childhood," Ichigo answered, recalling a summer reading project about analysis.

"Childhood?" Rukia echoed. "Hisana didn't have children with my brother."

"Maybe she means you," he answered. "You were a missing child in Rukongai. You might be her 'unseen spring'."

"It makes sense, but I just don't think that's right," she answered.

"You wouldn't be able to know unless you could ask her," he said softly. "Symbols in literature have so many meanings. You could think one thing, but the author could have meant something else entirely. I don't know what Hisana could have meant, but I think she's writing about her beloved sister."

"Thanks," Rukia smiled. "I really appreciate your help. It means a lot to me."

* * *

"Does Hisana like plum trees?" Rukia asked Byakuya.

"You only have a few questions left and you want to know what kind of tree she prefers?" Byakuya questioned with a sublime expression. Rukia nodded quickly, not bothering to explain why she wanted to know if Hisana liked plums. "I suppose," Byakuya answered, "but she prefers cherry blossom trees over plum trees. Why would you want to know what kind of tree she prefers?"

Rukia shrugged, "Curiosity's sake. Is there a plum tree she hangs out by usually? Like if she ever goes out to read or practice her calligraphy?"

"There's a plum tree outside her room," Byakuya answered skeptically.

Rukia mentally scolded herself for not figuring it out sooner. The plum tree was the same tree that had blossomed early on the day of Hisana's death. It was old with rough back and finger-like branches that extended to bunches of pink and white blossoms. Rukia circled the tree once, carefully examining the trunk for any carved clues. The bark was unmarred and slightly peeled off. Rukia's next step of action was to climb it. She clumsily pulled herself up into the branches and looked around. There wasn't much to see past the vibrant blossoms; she could barely see over the manor's mottled roof and couldn't see much besides the courtyard. Rukia paused as she lowered herself halfway down the tree. There was something yellow and dead-looking amongst the beautiful, vivacious blossoms. She reached for it, thinking it was a wilted flower. It was soft and worn away and had an ancient feel to it. It came loose easily when she pulled on it and it was, in fact, not a dead flower, but an old note. Rukia freed the rest of the note to the best o her abilities without ruining it and pieced the two together. The ink was smudged and faded, and the lettering was almost impossible to read. After minutes of squinting and examining, she deciphered the blotted letters as '_I love him with all my heart. I wish you could know him._'

The Shinigami stared at the words, completely baffled by what Hisana could have meant. Was the note addressed to her? Or to her doting husband? So fixated on the words, she didn't notice Ichigo approach. She started when he called her name. "Ichigo," she murmured, turning to him. "You scared me."

"Sorry," he said with a boyish grin and brushed the plum blossom petals from her hair. "I got your plum tree meanings, but I guess you don't need them, considering the tree's literal." The redhead looked at the plum tree, admiring the blossoms in bloom and then pointed at the note. "What's that?"

"I don't know," Rukia answered and then read it out for him. "Do you think she's talking about my brother?"

"I would assume so," Ichigo answered.

"Don't assume. You know what happens when you assume," she replied.

"You make an 'ass' out of 'u' and 'me'," Ichigo said dramatically. "I doubt your sister would love somebody with all her heart besides you and her husband."

"If that's the case, then what's with all these mysterious clues? My sister was hiding something. I just don't know what. And her death is also some unclear mystery that doesn't make sense. She was sick, but she got better! And then she _supposedly_ died in her sleep!" Rukia huffed. "There's something going on, and I want to know."

"You sound like you're implying that she isn't dead," Ichigo remarked.

"Maybe," Rukia murmured, looking down. "I don't know. My brother didn't tell me the details of her death. He knows something but he won't tell me. He's not very good at answering all the questions I ask in this stupid game of Twenty Questions. And then her friends thought I was Hisana, and then they looked surprised that Hisana was dead, but not sad. They didn't even mourn her..." Rukia froze at the thought of Daisuke and Rika. "They had a plum tree in front of their restaurant."

"I thought this was Hisana's plum tree," Ichigo said, trying to keep up with her rapid train of thought. "It's literally a flowering plum tree. And you're sure that there was a plum tree in front of their restaurant."

"Positive, it was in the photo and that's how I found their shop in the first place. I have to go back there," Rukia said. "Whatever she's hiding must be there." She looked up at Ichigo, suddenly arriving at her conclusion. "I have to go. Right now. I have to go."

"Wait, slow down, Rukia," Ichigo said, catching her arm before she could take off. "You can't just run off to the Districts all of sudden. I'm coming with you."

She tilted her head at him with a confused look. "Why, Ichigo? This doesn't concern you."

"But it concerns _you_," he answered. "I'm coming with you to make sure you'll be alright."

"Fine, so let's go!" Rukia exclaimed, hurrying him as she took off. He had no choice but to follow and try his best to not lose her in the crowded streets. "There," she said, coming to a halt, causing Ichigo to stumble into her. "That's the plum tree and there's the restaurant." She was about to go march in and give Daisuke a piece of her mind, but Ichigo stopped her.

"Midget, wait," Ichigo said. "They're just going to cover up Hisana's secret if you just barge in like that. Let's just see what they're up to before we go in. Rukia, you've waited this long to find out things about your sister. You can wait a few minutes longer. I'd hate to see you get hurt."

Rukia inhaled sharply and sucked in her cheeks, refusing to acknowledge the fact that Ichigo was right. Daisuke and Rika were smart; they had grown up in Rukon. They protected Hisana's secret the last time she showed up unexpected and they could probably do it again. She turned away from the restaurant and followed Ichigo across the street to find a place to settle and keep the restaurant under surveillance. "I hope this is it. I hope this is the end of all these messed up riddles," she sighed.

"For your sake, I hope so, too," Ichigo answered.

Rukia sat up, seeing Daisuke talking to a young man working. "He wasn't there the last time I came by," Rukia murmured softly as she watched them intently. Daisuke was making several hand gestures and seemed to be upset with the man. The man waved his hands and shrugged. Clearly, they were arguing. A woman (that was most likely Rika, but was too far for Rukia to identify with confidence) came and broke the two up. Daisuke spun on his heel and headed to the back room. The other young man, slumped over and defeated, pulled up a chair and sat down. The woman, clearly not Rika, patted the man's shoulder. "Oh my god," Rukia said, recognizing her. "It can't be."

"Rukia, don't go barging in yet," Ichigo said, stopping her from running in and blowing up at the woman. "You don't know for sure."

"I know for sure. That's her. And she has her arms draped over another man!" she nearly shrieked, pointing at the man slumped in the chair. Her blood was now boiling and she was furious to see the woman lean over and kiss his cheek affectionately and tousle his hair. She murmured something to the man. He nodded, picked up a pail from the behind the counter, and headed out.

Rukia yanked her arm out of Ichigo's grasp and followed him. "Who does she think she is?" she growled, clearly upset with the woman as she followed the man. Ichigo hurried after Rukia, mainly to make sure that she wouldn't murder the innocent man in her rage. She caught up to him, and gave him a hard shove. "Who are you?!" she demanded.

The man turned around and stared at her with startled indigo eyes. In her enraged state, the familiar eyes meant nothing to her. "Excuse me?" he answered with wide eyes. "Who do you think you are going around and pushing people?!"

"Hisana had her arms draped around you. Don't you know she's married?!" Rukia shouted at him. She would have lunged at him if Ichigo hadn't grabbed her by the waist and held her back. "Ichigo, let go of me!"

The indigo-eyed man glared at Rukia and Ichigo. "Of course I know she's married." He frowned at both of their horrified expressions.

"You should be ashamed of yourself!" Rukia shrieked as she attempted to launch herself at him again. "She's married and you still choose to hang around with her? Men like you disgust me."

"Rukia, I don't think we have the whole picture here," Ichigo said, thinking of 'spring' suddenly.

"I have the whole picture. My sister ran away from the Kuchiki manor to be with this pig! She's supposed to be dead, yet she's alive. She faked her death and is now cheating!" Rukia hissed and glared at the indigo-eyed man. "It was in the note. She said it. She said she loved somebody else!"

At her accusations, he looked absolutely mortified and appalled. "You think I'm her lover? Ew!" he exclaimed, dropping the pail at the thought. "Who do you think you are? First you attack me, and now you accuse me of having relations with my _mother_?! I'm not like Oedipus, if that is what you are implying. And why do you look like her?"

Rukia and Ichigo both froze at his statement. "You're Hisana Kuchiki's son?" Ichigo questioned. "Well, that was unexpected."

"I love him with all my heart. I only wish you could know him..." Rukia murmured. "Oh god, she was writing about you."

"Takumi! What took you so long? I was starting to get worried..." the woman from before, the one who Rukia recognized as her sister, came up to them with a confused look. Hisana Kuchiki was very much alive and now staring at the three of them with a questioning glance. "Takumi, what's going on?"

The indigo-eyed man, now identified as Hisana's son, Takumi, picked up the dropped pail and spouted off several apologies. "Sorry, Mom, I got into some sort of misunderstanding with these people. And that girl looks a lot like you..."

Grasping Ichigo for support, Rukia tried to absorb all the information that was just handed to her. "You're alive, Hisana. You're alive."

"Rukia," Hisana answered, paling at the realization that this ruse was now over and she had been caught.


	9. Spring

**Disclaimer: Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo!**

A few months ago...

_"That sure was a close one," Daisuke Meio sighed as he saw Rukia off._

_"Damn right that was close. She almost found out about Hisana and Takumi," Rika groveled as she stormed into the backroom. "Your sister just left," she snapped at the frail woman._

_Hisana nodded quietly. "That really was a close one wasn't it? I guess it's a good thing that Takumi's home sick today. He would have followed Rukia all the way back to his father."_

_"It's not too late," Daisuke said. "You could catch up to her and explain everything."_

_"I want to, but I can't. I have to think of Takumi," Hisana answered stubbornly._

_"Takumi can take care of himself! He's turning forty this year!" Rika snapped. "Quit being such a martyr, Hisana. I don't get why you left your husband in the first place just to come and live in this dump."_

_"Forty's still young by Soul Society standards," Hisana answered, making excuses. "I didn't want to raise Takumi here. I wasn't supposed to be pregnant when I left. Byakuya wouldn't have let me go if he had known."_

_"Well, Byakuya's going to find out pretty soon if Rukia keeps snooping around," Daisuke pointed out. "This ruse will fall apart soon."_

_"I know," Hisana said softly. "So let me have my peace until then. Just let me keep living this lie. Please."_

_"But this isn't fair to Rukia or Takumi!" Rika interjected. "All Rukia wants is to just know you. And Takumi doesn't know who his father is. He's an heir to the Kuchiki clan. It's his birthright to lead a noble clan."_

_"Don't you think I know that? My son's brilliant like all the Kuchikis. He's strong like them, too," Hisana wept. "And I've been so selfish to keep him here and ruin his life. It's only a matter of time before everything else is ruined. What am I supposed to do?"_

_"You keep in him the dark just a little while longer," Daisuke answered and ignored Rika's look of dismay. "You do whatever you can to keep the normalcy in his life, so you have to let him live this lie, because you know that this is the best for him. Don't you dare let his world come falling down on him, Hisana. Don't you dare let Takumi suffer. So you do what any good mother does. You protect him from what he doesn't know and you pray that it doesn't overwhelm him one day and rip him away from you."_

_Hisana nodded, knowing that his words were true. So like a protective mother, she kept him in the dark._

Present time

"You know her, Mom?" Takumi asked, prodding at Hisana's arm gently.

Snapping out of her thoughts and back to reality, Hisana blinked back tears and nodded slowly. "She's my little sister," she choked out. "I guess that makes her your aunt."

"You guess?" Takumi echoed. "You said you didn't have any family."

Rukia frowned and looked to Hisana, waiting for her response. Her older sister paled as everything she knew was now collapsing around her. "I never said that," she stammered, as she tried to calm her son. "Rukia's my little sister. I lost her in the Districts and I... I have a husband who is still alive."

"You said my father was dead," Takumi said quietly, looking betrayed. "I can't believe you would lie to me. What else don't I know?" Sarcastically, he added, "What am I going to find out next? That I'm some missing heir to a prestigious clan?!"

Hisana froze and inhaled sharply. Rukia stood there in guilty silence. "Your father's Byakuya Kuchiki," Hisana said so quietly her voice was barely above a whisper; it was like she was hoping he wouldn't hear her. With a horrified expression, Takumi spun on his heel and stormed off back to the restaurant without another word to Hisana. "Takumi, wait!" she pleaded desperately, near tears. "This wasn't how I wanted him to find out," she said softly as she watched him push his way into the restaurant. Turing to Rukia, Hisana sighed and offered a wry smile. "I wasn't expecting you to find Takumi or me."

"I found your clues," Rukia said awkwardly. "You're supposed to be dead."

"I know," Hisana answered and hesitantly reached out to Rukia to hug her. "I can't believe he found you. I've searched for you forever and he finds you in less than a year."

"Does Byakuya know that you're here? And that you have a son?" Rukia asked.

"He knows I'm here, but he doesn't know about Takumi," Hisana responded. Looking at Ichigo, she frowned and asked, "Kaien?"

"No, my name's Kurosaki Ichigo," he answered. "I'm a friend of Rukia's."

"Oh, just friends?" Hisana asked curiously, looking at Ichigo and then to Rukia. "You two would have made a cute couple," she murmured, watching the two flush crimson. "I have to go to Takumi. I promise I'll explain everything later, alright?" she said and bowed down to the them. "Rukia, I'm so sorry," she added quietly and headed back to the restaurant.

"Your boy's gone and locked himself in the backroom," Daisuke said sourly as he pointed to the closed door. "He's upset. What happened out there, Hisana?"

"He met Rukia, and found out about his lineage," Hisana answered quietly. "He has every right to be upset." Brushing past Daisuke and an amused Rika, she knocked on the door gently. "Takumi?"

"Go away," he answered hotly. "You're ruining my life." Despite the fact that he was thirty-nine, almost forty, he had the mindset of a teenager. After all, ages in the Soul Society were different than the ages in the humans' world. "What else have you neglected to tell me?"

"Nothing, that's it," Hisana answered, leaning her forehead against the door. "Honey, unlock the door and let me in. I'll explain everything to you."

"No," Takumi answered. "I don't want any explanations."

"Are you mad because of your living conditions?" she asked quietly. She could sense how distressed he was, and she hated that she was the one putting him through such stress.

"No," he answered again. "I'm happy here. I don't want to go live with some nobles with sticks up their asses. I don't understand why you'd keep all this from me, and I don't understand why you'd leave your _wonderful_ life to come to the Districts."

"I wasn't born into nobility," Hisana admitted. "I'm from here, like Daisuke and Rika. You were the one born into nobility. You know, you'll probably end up becoming clan head."

"I don't want it," he said. "I don't want some pansy rich life. I like it _here_ with you, Daisuke and Rika. This is my home. This is my family. I'm not going to see some father that made you raise me on your own. He's a jerk."

"Honey, he's not a jerk. He doesn't know you exist. I never told him," Hisana confessed. "You don't have to meet him if you don't want to. It's you choice; you're all grown up now."

"I sense a 'but' coming," he said hoarsely. There was a pause as he cleared his throat and coughed. "I don't want anything to do with the Kuchikis."

"But your father is most likely going to want to educate you further and make you the next leader of the Kuchiki clan. You are the current and only heir to that clan," she explained.

"Can't my supposed aunt go marry the redhead, have kids, and then let them be the heirs?" Takumi asked.

"No, baby. Rukia's not a legitimate member of the Kuchiki clan. You're the only one to succeed Byakuya," Hisana said. "But like I said, it's your choice. I'm not asking you to do this, or forcing you to. It's _your_ decision."

There was a soft click as Takumi unlocked the door and opened it an inch. "I don't want to. It's too much. I'm not good enough. I want to stay here with my family." Hisana nodded and pushed the door open completely to hug him. "No more secrets, okay? And I don't want to meet my father."

"Okay, if that's what you want," Hisana nodded. "Whatever you want."

* * *

"So are you coming home with us?" Rukia asked hopefully. "You and Takumi, please? I know my brother misses you. He'd be thrilled if you came home."

Hisana shook her head sadly, "I'm sorry, Rukia. I can't. Takumi wants to stay here. And the elders think I'm dead. It'll ruin Byakuya if I returned."

"Why did you leave then?" Rukia questioned. "Why didn't you stay with him and give Takumi a better life?"

"The elders were giving Byakuya a hard time for marrying me. I was being criticized constantly for not being a 'Lady Kuchiki' and it was getting too much. I couldn't find you, and it was driving me crazy. When I got sick, they planned my funeral while I was still alive!" Hisana sighed. "It was getting bad, and it was ruining Byakuya. So I thought, if I 'died' everything would be better. So I did, and I came here where I raised Takumi on my own."

"Shouldn't Takumi go to the Kuchiki manor?" Rukia added, trying to convince her sister to come home. "He'd be the next head of the family. Did you tell him that?"

"Of course I did. He doesn't want it," Hisana replied. "I won't force it on him, and he doesn't want to meet his father. I can't do anything about it. If he did go back, those elders would brand him as an illegitimate child."

"Not if you went back with him," Rukia protested. "Hisana-nee, please. Byakuya misses you and loves you. Screw the elders! They talk bad about me already, but I don't give a damn. They're probably going to die soon anyways."

Hisana shook her head again. "Rukia, please, I can't. I want to see him again. More than anything, but I can't."

"Rukia, stop pressuring," Ichigo finally said quietly, taking her wrist. "You can always come visit her whenever you want."

"It can't end like this," Rukia said, trying to think of something to get Hisana and Takumi to go home. "If you don't come home, then I'll tell Byakuya about his son," she bargained.

"Rukia, don't be like this," Hisana said softly. "I'll come home one day, but today's not the day. Takumi doesn't want to go back. He says that he's likes it here just fine and no matter what, this is our true home. The manor... It gets lonely sometimes. It's not home. Not yet."

Sullenly, Rukia nodded and headed back with Ichigo. "It's not fair," she said to him sadly.

"It'll be okay, Rukia. You can still come and visit every now and then," Ichigo said, trying to comfort her.

"But Hisana's right, you know, about the manor. It gets lonely," she answered wistfully.

* * *

"You didn't tell her _everything_ did you?" Rika asked when Hisana had come back.

Takumi shot Hisana a questioning look, wondering what on earth she could be hiding now. "Baby, go help Daisuke," Hisana said as she made a shooing gesture with her hand. When Takumi firmly planted himself where he stood, Hisana sighed and shook her head. "No, I didn't tell Rukia everything."

"What'd you leave out?" he questioned, ignoring Rika's smirk and love for dramas.

"Nothing. Rika just likes to make trouble," Hisana said flatly.

"You said no more lies," Takumi snapped. Oh, he was so hotheaded just like his father when they were the same age.

"It's nothing," Hisana said, shaking her head. "You don't have to worry."

Rika laughed. "I think _you_ should be the worried one."

"It's _nothing_," Hisana said persistently while glaring at Rika. "Baby, it's nothing. Everything's fine. If something goes wrong, you'll be the first to know." She tousled his hair and headed to the back to help Daisuke. "Help Rika and take your mind off these, okay?" She shot a warning glare at Rika.

"Damn right you'd be the first to know," Rika said mockingly as she looked in Takumi's direction. "Ah, but listen to your mother. Everything will be just fine."

"You're lying," he said hotly. "Just like her. No more lies, Rika. Just tell me what's wrong. I'm not a child anymore. I can handle whatever it is that's going on."

"Can you?" Rika teased. "You grew up too fast. Hisana, like every mother, just wants to preserve the innocence that's your childhood," she rambled. "Well then, Mr. Grown-Up, I know that _somebody_'s very sick."

"My mother?" Takumi asked. "Of course it'd be her. Forget the stupid question. How bad?"

"Oh, well that _person_ is getting worse, I think. It comes and goes. But each time, it comes back with a vengeance. So you tell me how bad it is."

"Pretty bad, I guess. How long?" Takumi asked.

"I'd say it's been bothering this _person_ for about forty years maybe?" Rika answered, trying to get a specific time. "It's been bad. Without the proper treatment, this _person_ probably going to die."

"Why do you keep saying 'this person'? It's not like it's a big secret who's sick," Takumi said dryly with a concerned look, as he tried to figure out how he could have missed that his mother was deathly ill.

"Because I promised Hisana not to tell, so I figure I could use general statements and be vague. That way, I'm not really telling you what's going on," Rika said with a smirk.

"I won't tell her that you told me," Takumi said, coaxing Rika to tell more. "How much longer does this _person_ have?" he then asked, playing into Rika's general statements and ambiguity.

Rika shrugged. "I dunno. They've been doing pretty fine at the moment. Like I said, it comes and goes. Think of it like a persistent cold. A really bad, eventually fatal, persistent cold."

* * *

"I found Hisana today," Rukia said to her brother. Byakuya choked on his tea and looked at Rukia with a startled look. "I found her with Ichigo. She looks well. You didn't tell me that she was still alive."

"I helped her fake her death forty years ago. The elders were giving her a hard time and she couldn't take it anymore," Byakuya mumbled. "I tried to get her to stay, but she was insistent on finding you."

"I'll probably be visiting her a lot," Rukia stated. Her brother made no comment so she assumed permission was granted. "Do you ever visit her?" she asked, playing Twenty Questions with him again.

"No, I can't," Byakuya answered sullenly. "It's impossible to locate her in the Districts and I have the Kuchiki elders always watching over me. I can get away with writing letters."

"Do you two still write?" Rukia asked.

"No, she stopped replying to my letters about a year ago," Byakuya answered gloomily.

Rukia looked surprised by his words. "She stopped writing? Why?" Byakuya was unresponsive, but the look on his face showed that even he didn't know what she had stopped writing. "I guess I could ask her myself. I do know where she lives now and I'll be seeing her often. She's family."

"Do as you wish," Byakuya answered, taking no interest in the subject. His attitude seemed to unnerve Rukia.

"Why are you being so cold? She's your _wife_. I thought you'd be glad to see her. Or go visit at least," Rukia said with a bit of a pout. "Did something happen between the two of you...?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Byakuya snapped as his voice became cold, harsh and distant all of a sudden.

"Did you two fight?" Rukia asked, pushing him for an answer.

"Enough, Rukia," he said tiredly.

"It's not fair," Rukia said quietly. "It's not fair to see your marriage falling apart in front of my eyes and you're not going to anything about it. You and Hisana don't deserve this." _'And neither does Takumi'_ her mind subconsciously added.

Byakuya inhaled a sharp breath and turned away from her. "That's enough, Rukia," he said and from the tone of his voice, he meant it.

Sucking in her cheeks, she decided that she wouldn't let this happen. Byakuya didn't deserve to live a miserable life alone, void of the woman he was in love with. Hisana deserved to have some happiness in her life after all she had gone through. Her son deserved the birthright that he was robbed of. "I'm going back to Hisana," she announced. "I'm going back to visit. Maybe spend the night in the Districts to be with my _sister_. I have every right." Much to her surprise, Byakuya did not protest and merely granted her permission. After gathering her belongings, she headed out back to the restaurant. Hisana greeted her with a cheerful hug and let her in, quietly explaining she had to finish her shift before leaving.

"You could hang out with Takumi, if you want to pass the time," Hisana suggested. "He always has some interesting idea to discuss. It's amusing sometimes."

Rukia took her advice and sat at the counter next to Takumi. "Hisana said you always have odd theories."

Takumi looked at her with a surprised expression but relented, spilling out his latest theory. "I think my mom's dying from a disease again."

"So Hisana's sick?" Rukia asked with a frown. "But I thought she got better. She certainly looks better."

"I dunno. Rika said it comes and goes," Takumi answered in a hushed tone so he wouldn't draw any suspicion to Rukia and himself. To his mother, it looked like they were just bonding. "It's like a really bad, eventually fatal, persistent cold."

"How morbid," Rukia responded and looked over to her sister's direction. Hisana certainly didn't look ill. She was pretty, despite the Rukon grime. Her face was full and her complexion was lively. "Are you sure she's sick?"

"Rika said so," Takumi answered. "Well, she didn't really _say_ that she was. Rika was vague but she said that _somebody_ was sick. Who else but my mom, right?"

The Shinigami looked at him suspiciously but shrugged, assuming the same as he did. "When was the last time she was sick then?" she questioned, still a little doubtful that the lively, cheerful woman was fighting off a disease that she had already beat.

"Um..." Takumi paused, trying to remember when she had last been sick. "She had a cough a few months ago, but I figured she just got that from me. I mean, she was taking care of me, so she's bound to get sick."

"Okay, well, let's not count that time then. What about before then?" Rukia suggested, sensing that something was wrong. She looked over to Hisana who was cheerfully making conversation with one of the customers.

Takumi followed Rukia's gaze and looked at his mother, trying to think when she had last been really sick. "It was about maybe half a year ago? There was a rainstorm and she came home soaking wet and she was sick."

"Were you sick, too?" Rukia asked, curiously.

"Yeah, everybody was sick. It was a really bad rainstorm," Takumi answered.

"Were you the first to get sick?" she then asked.

"Yeah, so?" he replied with a frown, seeing all her questions towards him were irrelevant. After all, it was Hisana who was sick. Not him. His hands on the counter were starting to tremble slightly as he felt cold all of a sudden.

"I see," Rukia concluded and studied his face carefully. His pale complexion and lithe frame only confirmed her theory. "I don't think Hisana's the sick one," she said finally.

"You're crazy. You said it yourself. She was deathly ill and on her deathbed. It probably came back," he said, frustrated that the only person who would believe him was now not believing him. "Unbelievable. Don't you want to cure her?" His throat was starting to itch as he raised his voice slightly. Hell, it was itching the whole time he was talking to Rukia.

"Takumi, look at her. She's perfectly healthy. That's not a sick woman who's been battling a disease for forty years," Rukia said quietly.

"Well, _somebody_'s sick. Rika said so," he said defensively. Getting up from where he was sitting, he stretched and started to head out. "It's freezing in here. I think I'm going to get some air and some sunlight," he muttered and went out.

His last statement proved Rukia's theory completely. It wasn't cold in the restaurant. At all. "Takumi, wait!" she said, chasing after him. "Takumi, _somebody_ is sick. It's you. You're the one who's been battling a disease for forty years."

Takumi froze and shook his head. "No, you're crazy. I'd know it if I were sick."

"You said it yourself! You were sick a few months ago. You were the first to get sick when the rainstorm hit. Takumi, think about it. You've been sick every few months and you were bedridden the last time. You're sick, and if I'm right, you're not feeling well right now."

His eyes were wide. "That's impossible," he murmured, looking down at his hands. They were still trembling. He brought his hands up and rubbed his arms, trying to stop the shaking and the warm himself up. "It's so damn cold," he said to himself, refusing to believe Rukia's words. "Aren't you cold...? I'm fine. I'm totally fine..." Everything around him was starting to spin and blur. He stopped rubbing his arms and just hugged himself. Rukia said something, but it was jumbled up by the time it reached his ears. "So damn cold..." he said once more and then passed out.

"Takumi!" Rukia shrieked, trying to catch him. She managed to catch his head before it slammed into the ground, but was in no position to drag him back. "Hisana! Daisuke! Rika!" she screamed, trying to call for help. Takumi was burning up and shaking like a leaf.

Daisuke was the first at her side, pulling the sick teen to him. "Hisana!" he shouted.

"Oh, god," Hisana gasped, running to her son's side and cradling his head into her lap. "What happened?"

"He's sick," Rukia answered. "He was complaining about how cold it was and then he just dropped down."

"Hisana," Daisuke said seriously as he checked her son's temperature. "It's worse than last time. He needs a good doctor and the proper medical care this time or he isn't going to live. You know what this means, don't you?"

With tears streaming down her cheeks, Hisana nodded slowly. "I know. It means I have to ask Byakuya for help."


	10. Turn Back the Pendulum

**Disclaimer: Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo!  
A/N:** I'm reposting this because I wasn't happy with it the first time around. Hopefully it's better and less rushed?

There were no formal greetings when they met. There were no "How are you?"s and "Long time no see!"s. There was just a sob and a sudden embrace. After forty years, Byakuya was finally reunited with his wife. She was crying hard and hugging him tightly. "I screwed up," she said, in between sobs. Byakuya consolingly hugged her back and rubbed his cheek against her hair. Rukia was with her as well as Hisana's coworker and another person Byakuya didn't recognize."Byakuya, I screwed up," Hisana said again into his shirt. "I need your help."

"Hisana, what did you do?" Byakuya questioned, looking over to the unconscious person held up by Rukia and Daisuke. "Hisana, who is that?"

"His name is Takumi," she sniffed. "He's your son."

Byakuya's already pale complexion seemed to whiten at her words and he stared at the unconscious young man currently supported by Daisuke. "Get Captain Unohana," he finally said to Rukia. She nodded and then quickly scampered off as he slung his son's arm over his shoulder. "I can't believe you'd do this to me," he said through gritted teeth as he glared daggers at his wife.

"I'm sorry," Hisana said, still crying. "I screwed up." It seemed to be the only excuse that could justify everything that had happened. With Daisuke's help, Byakuya started to drag his son towards the infirmary. Hanataro Yamada and another from the Fourth Company met them on the way with a stretcher and easily took care of the Kuchiki heir.

"Thank you, Daisuke," Hisana said quietly.

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Daisuke said as he hugged her consolingly. "Takumi will be fine and you will sort things out with your husband. This isn't your fault. None of us saw this coming."

Hisana nodded quickly and then followed Byakuya and Rukia into the infirmary. The worried mother had finally calmed down and stopped crying. As she wiped her tears with her sleeve, Byakuya stopped her and offered her his handkerchief. She forced a smile and gratefully accepted it.

"Hisana-nee," Rukia said, sitting down next to Hisana in the waiting room. "Takumi-kun will be fine. Don't you worry, like Daisuke said!" Byakuya got up from where he was sitting and left without another word. "I'm sure Nii-sama is just talking to Unohana-taichou," she said, making an acceptable excuse for her brother (in-law)'s abrupt leave.

"He's upset with me," Hisana stated. "I don't blame him. I'd be upset with me, too. What I did was completely wrong."

"Maybe," Rukia said, "But you had good intentions, didn't you? There must have been a reason why you left him in the first place and why you didn't tell him about Takumi's existence."

"Looking back, they're just silly and selfish reasons," Hisana said. "All committed by an equally silly, selfish person."

"Hisana-nee, what happened?" Rukia pried. "I want to know. I would really like to know. Please tell me everything."

"Everything?" Hisana echoed. "Rukia-chan, I don't even _know _where to begin."

"You can start right at the beginning," she said. "You can start with that one spring morning forty years ago."

"Alright then," her sister answered with a nod. "Then that's where I'll begin."

* * *

_Forty years ago_

On that one spring morning that it was believed that Kuchiki Hisana had lost her battle against disease, she had actually recovered. She had made a miraculous recovery (though mostly thanks to Unohana-taichou) and was able to stay at her dear husband's side. For a moment, she was truly happy with her life, but then the guilt began to seep in.

"Byakuya-sama," Hisana said quietly. "I can't keep doing this. This life with you is a dream. A very beautiful dream, but I can't have it."

"Can't? or won't?" Byakuya answered, knowing where this conversation was leading.

She smiled wryly and took his hands into hers. "Won't," she said sadly. "I won't keep living my dream, knowing that my little sister is out there. I have to find her and when I was on my deathbed believing that I was going to die, she was the one I thought of first. I could only wonder what kind of life she's living out there without me and I wanted to find her so bad. As my dying will, I would have gone out to find her."

Byakuya nodded understandingly, knowing how much of a burden this was to her. "What are you going to do, Hisana?"

"I'm going to leave," she said hesitantly. "I am going to return to live in the Rukon Districts until I find my sister. And after we're together again, I'll come back to you. So let me go, Byakuya-sama, because I swear I'll come back."

"Will you be alright?" he asked, ignoring her request.

"Yes, I will be fine. I have friends there. They're good people. They'll take me in and watch out for me. I'll be okay," she said pleadingly.

"Then go," he said, giving her hand a firm squeeze. "Just be sure to come back to me. I'll be waiting for you."

"Thank you, Byakuya-sama," she said, near tears. She let go of his hand and embraced him tightly. "I swear to you that I will return." He hugged her back, knowing that this would most likely be their last moment together in a long while.

Hisana had moved back to the Rukon to live with her most trusted friends, Daisuke and Rika, and there, she continued her search for her little sister. She had found many leads, but each and every one had led to a dead end. Three months into her search, she discovered she was pregnant with Byakuya's child, a shocking surprise since she was under the impression that she couldn't have children after her disease had ravaged her body.

"I think you're going to have to contact your husband," Daisuke told her seriously when she confided her 'ailment'. "You can't stay here, find Rukia, and raise a child at the same time. You're going to have to go back to the Seireitei."

"Daisuke, if I go back to the Seireitei and have my child, I won't be able to leave again. I'll have to stay there and raise my child. I won't be able to find Rukia anymore," Hisana said.

"Don't they have people to raise your children or something in noble houses?" Rika asked curiously.

"I'm sure they do, but I'm not going to let _them_ raise _my_ child," the stubborn woman answered. After further discussion, she finally decided to stay in the Rukon, temporarily putting off her search for her sister when Daisuke confined her to bed rest until she gave birth. Then, she'd tell Byakuya and most likely give him the child.

_39 Years Ago_

One year, after that one spring morning, Kuchiki Byakuya met his wife in the First District after she contacted him, telling him that she had something very important to tell him. When he set eyes on her once more, she looked more fragile and pastier than she had ever looked before. Trying to be optimistic, he equated it to the result of moving from a rich household back to the poor districts. The truth was, she had recently given birth to a son which she named Takumi (like the sea because she equated it to freedom). At the moment, Rika was taking care of the baby.

"Hisana," he said, embracing her carefully. He dreaded the news she would tell him. If she was sick again, he didn't know how he was going to manage once more. "I have something important to tell you, too."

Hisana nodded and smiled. "You go first," she said, taking his hand in hers as they went for a walk.

"I found your sister," he said. "She joined the Academy for Shinigamis."

Hisana's eyes widened in surprise and she clapped her hands over her mouth. "Rukia?"

He nodded. "She looks a lot like you. I will adopt her into the Kuchiki family as my sister."

"Thank you," Hisana said, starting to cry. "Thank you, Byakuya-sama. You don't know how much this means to me. Thank you."

"You'll come home then?" he asked, almost pleadingly.

Hisana tensed. Going back home to Byakuya with Takumi and Rukia would be a dream. The _most _beautiful dream she could ever hope for, but somehow, Hisana couldn't bring herself to go with him. "I can't," she said, shaking her head. "Sorry, I _won't._ All my life I've searched for Rukia. She is the most important person to me and I've never considered what would happen when I actually did find her. But now that she's been found, I just can't bring myself to face her. I'm a terrible person and I know it's wrong, but I'm afraid. Does she know about me?"

"No," Byakuya answered. "I haven't spoken to her yet."

"Then when you do, please don't tell her I was her sister. I abandoned her when she needed me the most. I don't deserve to be called her sister," Hisana said. "I left a baby for dead in one of the most dangerous districts. I don't deserve any of this. I don't deserve you, or Rukia." _'Or Takumi_' her mind silently added. "Please, I just... I just feel that everything might be better if I wasn't there anymore. For you and Rukia."

Byakuya touched her face, wiping away her tears and then embraced her. "I'll still wait for you. Come back home one day, Hisana," he said to her. "Rukia wouldn't be mad. I'm sure she would forgive you."

"Maybe, but even so, I don't deserve her forgiveness," she said. Unable to resist, she then asked, "What will happen to my sister?"

"I will adopt her into my family as my sister and she will be raised to be a proper Kuchiki lady. She'll instantly be able to join a squad of the Gotei Thirteen," he told her. "You won't need to worry. I swear to you that I will protect her no matter what."

_'Proper? So my sister will be raised to be a cold, emotionless noble?'_ Hisana wondered to herself as she did not reply to his words. _'It is the best for her. It is better than I can ever give her.' _Leaning into him, Hisana softly murmured, "Thank you, Byakuya-sama, I am glad that she will have you as her brother."

"Hisana, what was it that you wanted to tell me?" he questioned.

"Um," she paused, wondering if she should tell him about Takumi. If she did, he'd be taken away from her and raised to be a _proper_ cold and emotionless nobleman. "It's nothing," she lied. "It's not important anymore. What's important is that my little sister is safe and I have peace at heart." It was selfish, yes, but Takumi was all she had left now, and she couldn't bear the thought of him taken away from her and raised to be a cold stranger. Noble or not, he was _not_ going to grow up to be a prick.

* * *

"That's that," Hisana told Rukia. "The rest of the story's plain and unimportant. Takumi grew up in the Rukon Districts and we were happy for a while. He was four when he started to get sick. Takumi was always a sickly child, but he got stronger as he grew up and was sick less frequently."

"But when he did get sick, it went all-out and it got worse each time," Rukia concluded and her sister nodded. "Why didn't you do anything about his sickness?"

"There was a district doctor. We got medicine for him and it worked well at the time, but as his sickness got worse, the medication was less effective," Hisana explained. "Rika was always so good to him and she'd help take care of my son each time he fell ill. We did what we could to manage and survive. I couldn't bring Byakuya into this."

"Couldn't or wouldn't?" Rukia asked. Hisana winced, hearing those words again with the same tone.

"I _wouldn't_ bring Byakuya into this. It wouldn't be fair to him," her sister said. "He's done far too much for me. I didn't want to disappoint him anymore than I already have."

"Hisana?" Rukia said, now changing the subject to something more important (in her opinion). "Hisana-nee, I forgive you."

Hisana's voice hitched in her throat and she looked at Rukia with tears once more. "Rukia, please don't. Don't force yourself. I don't deserve your forgiveness for what I've done."

"You might not deserve it, but I'm giving it to you anyways. You might have left me, but you've dedicated your whole life just to find me. You're too hard on yourself, Hisana. You gave up your life with Byakuya-sama just so you could find me again. I think you're sorry enough," Rukia said, embracing her sister suddenly. "I forgive you, Hisana-nee, so please stop tormenting yourself. Byakuya-sama and I have waited long enough. It's time for you and Takumi to come home."

"I..." Hisana trailed off weakly, unsure how to respond. She had never expected to come home like this. "I don't know, Rukia-chan. I just can't return to my life before and live it all merrily."

"Why not?" Rukia demanded. "Hisana-nee, you think that you have to _everything _by yourself. You didn't tell Nii-sama about Takumi-kun because you didn't want his help in raising a child. You're too independent. You think that because you left me, you can't have any kindness." Rukia threw her arms around her sister and hugged her tightly. "Hisana-nee needs to stop punishing herself, because she doesn't realize that she's not the only she's hurting. Hisana-nee, please come home."

"Rukia-chan is too kind," Hisana said, petting Rukia's head affectionately. "I'm glad that Rukia-chan didn't become cold like the rest of the Kuchiki family."

Unohana Retsu entered the waiting room and smiled at the sight of the two sisters. "Lady Kuchiki," Unohana said with a nod as she acknowledged Hisana. "You look well."

"Unohana-taichou," Hisana said, bowing her head to the woman. "Takumi, is he-?"

"Takumi will be just fine," the captain said kindly and both sisters sighed in relief. "He needs his rest, but he should make a quick recovery." With another nod, she dismissed herself and left the waiting room back to her other patients.

"Will Hisana-nee come home then?" Rukia asked desperately.

"For you, Rukia-chan, I will," Hisana said, hugging her sister once more. "Thank you, Rukia, but before I can come home, I need to make amends with Byakuya-sama. He's stubborn and may not be as kind as you."

"He will forgive you and let you come home," Rukia said assuringly. "Because Nii-sama had faith in me, I have faith in him, too."

Hisana sighed wearily, "For our sake, I hope you're right."


End file.
